The new Wash & Wipe Dish Cloths have been very, VERY popular. So popular that we sold out of them in record time and the poor, poor people had to wait for more.

And let me just tell you that my husband said “I like that new cloth”. Them’s strong words coming from him! He is NOT one to voice his opinion on cleaning products. Or on anything really, for that matter.

We think you’ll like it so much that for a limited time, we’re giving them away FREE!

Free? What’s the catch?

No catch, you get one free with the purchase of either a General Purpose cloth or a Glass & Polishing cloth.

I know, I know. You want to reach through your computer and kiss me, don’t you.

Take Note: These sale cloths are in limited quantity and are only available while supplies last.

As always, if you’d like more information or have any questions, drop me a comment below. If you’re wondering how these compare to Norwex cloths, take a look at the drop-down menus at the top of my blog. I’ve got lots of e-cloth vs norwex comparisons including the e-cloth General Purpose vs Norwex Enviro AND e-cloth Glass & Polishing vs Norwex Window.

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Quick Answer: Absolutely! You can use vinegar with your e-cloth® (and Norwex) cloths.

Long Answer:Read on…

By now, you probably already know that e-cloth (and Norwex) microfiber works to clean almost everything with only water. The science of those millions of fibers is fantastic, isn’t it?

But I know – and can understand why – some people take a little coaxing to believe that the e-cloth is really cleaning that well and maybe you think you need a little extra something to help it along.

I mean the whole “e-cloth® picks up over 99% of bacteria” thing. It’s got you wondering, doesn’t it. Am I right? You can’t see bacteria so how do you know it’s gone? Luckily, e-cloth has taken the guess work out of that by having an independent laboratory prove it. But still…

You’ve been using homemade green cleansers for a while and have an addiction to vinegar. Whoa! I know it Sista. Vinegar ROCKS! And now you’ve got yourself a brand new e-cloth (or Norwex) and an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other:

Angel: “Kate tells me it’s OK. Kate tells me it works. I love Kate.”

Devil: “Who is this Kate, anyway? What does she know? GO GET THE VINEGAR!”

Angel: “Oh yes, vinegar. Vinegar is good. Vinegar is a workhorse. But hey, Kate never told me anything about vinegar…”

ASIDE: If you’ve read this far, you’re getting an idea of how my mind works. I have many, MANY little back-and-forth conversations with myself every day.

In any case, this is my VERY long-winded way of telling you that, e-cloths will clean everything very well with just water. Vinegar is not necessary, but you can use vinegar with them if you want.

When & How to Use e-cloths with Vinegar

For the record, 99% of the time, I use my e-cloths (and Norwex) with only water, but there are a few cleaning jobs that I find vinegar helps with:

Removing hard water spots and stains: spray some vinegar on the spots/stains and let it sit for a few minutes than wipe with an e-cloth. On vertical surfaces, I saturate my e-cloth (or paper towel) with vinegar and press it onto the surface. It stays pretty well. After a few minutes, I remove the cloth and wipe the spot away.

Removing soap scum: same procedure as for removing hard water spots – spray/soak, wait and wipe.

I’m pretty sure those are the only times I use vinegar to help my e-cloths clean. If you’ve got other suggestions, please let me know!

Keep your e-cloths looking & Smelling New with Vinegar

I clean a lot of very dirty things with my e-cloths. They get pretty stained and grungy looking and I know some people have had an issue with stinky norwex or e-cloth products (admittedly, it the stink even happened to me once. Yes, me, High-and-mighty-self-proclaimed-queen-of-e-cloth-Kate). Stink comes when the cloths aren’t rinsed out well enough and grease, bacteria, or even soap residue builds up on the fibers. If any of these issues has been a problem for you, have no fear, VINEGAR TO THE RESCUE. I’ve written 3 posts in the past that may be of help/interest to you:

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Geez, there are a lot of e-cloth products, aren’t there? Hard to know where to begin. And when you see those 4 magic letters… S…A…L…E, you want to go crazy and buy, buy, BUY!

But before you get carried away, let me help you. Here are my Top 5 Picks for what to get while the 20% off Earth Day Sale is on (Coupon Code: Earthday15 .Sale ends at midnight central time, Wed April 22, by the way).

Kate’s Top 5 “Get it While it’s on Sale” Picks

Universal Stone – this stuff is amazing and everyone should have some. But yup, it’s pricey so maybe hard to justify (even though it’ll replace many of your other cleansers). Try searching on this blog for Universal Stone – I’ve got lots of examples with pictures of how well this stuff works. So get it while it’s on sale. We also have the Universal Stone Cleaning Set that includes a General Purpose Cloth and a Glass & Polishing cloth and will save you even more money (but save even more by getting the Universal Stone and a couple of the 2 for 1 General Purpose/Glass & Polishing cloths instead – see below)

Deep Clean Mop – another big-ticket item that people covet. Probably something you hum and haw over, wondering if it’s really any better than your existing mop. Well stop wondering… it IS better. WAY better! Again, I’ve got reviews on here so check them out. If you’ve got pets, this is a must-have. Especially this time of year when the shedding is on full tilt and muddy paw prints prevail. We also have lots of mop “bundles” that’ll save you big money if you’re looking at getting multiple items. But the bundles aren’t on sale right now. NOTE – I highly recommend that if you get the mop that you also purchase the dusting pad for it. The mop dusting pad is my MOST USED ITEM and it’ll save you lots of time – and frustration.

Drinkware Drying and Polishing Cloth – This little beauty is often over-looked. It’s kinda hard to find on the website and likely not something you’d search for. But it’s a gem of a dish-dryer and it’s a couple of bucks cheaper than our Kitchen Towels. Use if for all your dish-drying – not just glasses. You’ll be impressed by how quickly – and how much – water it absorbs. Not to mention the streak-free finish on your glasses!

Luxury Bath Towel – The title says it all. Luxury… Bath… Towel. This thing IS pure luxury. It dries you quickly and feels like velvet against your skin. And here’s a little secret for those of you that don’t like the fact that it’s white… shhhh, don’t tell anyone… the Large Pet Towel is exactly the same. So if you’re afraid of white, try the brown pet towel instead. And while I’m at it, I’ll just mention that the pet towel is the 2nd best thing I’ve ever gotten for my dog (the best thing is #5, below). If you’ve got a dog that likes to swim or run in the rain, you’ll love how quickly you can dry them off with the pet towel. Search this blog for my reviews of the luxury towel. We still only have one that the entire family fights over.

Pet Grooming Mitt – This is the single best thing I’ve ever gotten for my dog. She loves how it feels and I love how it cleans her coat and removes dander. Note, this is not a brush and it isn’t great for removing hair. This mitt makes my dog’s coat shine! I use it AFTER I brush her to remove the dead skin that the brush brings to the surface. And I use it a LOT in spring, summer and fall to remove dust and dirt from her hair. Roxy loves the feel of the bristly side on her face and in her ears.

Why Aren’t Any of the Cleaning Cloths on Kate’s Top 5 Sale List?

You know I love my e-cloths. You know I love the way they clean. So why aren’t they on my Earth Day Sale Must Buy list?

Because we’ve still got 2 for 1’s available and they aren’t eligible for the 20% off. You could get any of our regular priced cleaning cloths and use the Earthday15 Coupon Code to get 20% off them, but you’ll save money by getting the 2 for 1’s instead.

AND…

we’ve still go the MOST AMAZING DEAL EVER on our Kitchen and Window Packs.

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What better way to celebrate Earth Day (April 22, 2015) than with some good old Chemical-free Cleaning?

E-cloth® reduces paper towel and disposable wipe usage by almost 90%, removes over 99% of bacteria with just water, and leaves no chemical residue. And holy mackerel, e-cloths last for years! They’re guaranteed for 300 washings – that’s about 6 years, folks.

And how about some amazing savings on e-cloth®? How does 20% off of everything sound?

E-cloth does it’s part everyday to educate consumers and develop exciting new products. E-cloth doesn’t introduce a product unless it meets their very high standards for performance, quality, and sustainability. It is for these reasons that e-cloth is becoming the leading brand in Chemical-free Cleaning.

I appreciate word of mouth referrals from satisfied customers. If you love the e-cloth products (or the info on my blog), please tell your friends by sharing this post on your social networks or forwarding to their email address. I appreciate your support!

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Preamble

This is the first of a series of posts that I hope to write over the next few weeks to help you decide which e-cloths are best for you. I understand that there are many, many types of e-cloths and that deciding which ones you need can be a challenge.

Hopefully this series of posts will help you decide what you really need and save you some money.

What is an e-cloth “Specialty” Cloth?

The General Purpose cloth was the original e-cloth®. It’s a very high quality microfiber cloth that picks up over 99% of bacteria and is a cleaning power-house. You can use it for almost every cleaning task from dusting to sopping up spills to removing greasy messes, to cleaning your whole kitchen/bathroom.

Occasionally, a cleaning task comes along that the General Purpose cloth does “OK” on but could use a little “boost” to make the job easier. That’s where the “specialty” cloths come in.

Why was the Stainless Steel Cloth Developed?

E-cloths have been used to clean stainless steel in Europe since the 1990’s. In the beginning, only the General Purpose cloth was used and manufacturers noticed that it did not do quite as good a job on brushed stainless steel as it did on polished stainless steel.

More research was done and it was found that the minute grooves in brushed stainless steel were holding dirt, grime, grease, etc. The Stainless Steel e-cloth® was developed in co-operation with some of the major European stainless steel appliance manufactures. It was developed specifically for brushed stainless steel to break up and lift dirt, grime and grease out of the minute grooves on brushed stainless steel.

Why e-cloth Instead of Polishes and Cleansers?

Most commercial “cleansers” for stainless steel make your appliances “shiny” by leaving a thin layer of polish/residue behind. They often contain chemicals and the residue actually attracts dirt and dust.

E-cloths work with only water to quickly and easily remove bacteria, oil, dirt, and fingerprints from stainless surfaces. They also last for years so you’ll save money!

How to Use the Stainless Steel Cloth

Using the Stainless Steel Cloth is a quick three-step process:

With the cloth damp, start with the “scrubby” side and wipe the surface. The scrubbers will loosen dirt and grease within the grooves

Flip the cloth over and use the microfiber side to remove all the grease, dirt and “gunk” from the surface.

Follow up with a Glass & Polishing cloth to remove any dampness for a streak-free finish. The Glass & Polishing cloth is also good for daily “maintenance” of fingerprint and smudge removal.

How Does the Stainless Steel Cloth Compare to the General Purpose Cloth?

On one side, the Stainless Steel cloth is the same as the General Purpose e-cloth. It has the same fiber length and density and has the same super-cleaning-bacteria-picking-up power as the General Purpose cloth.

On the other side, it has alternating stripes of polypropylene scrubbers and microfiber. The polypropylene scrubbers are like a stiff brush but have the flexibility to loosen “gunk” in the grooves of brushed stainless steel. The scrubbers are safe on all surfaces and will not scratch.

Do you Need the Stainless Steel Cloth or a General Purpose Cloth?

The e-cloth Stainless Steel cloth will simplify the way you clean your appliances will clean them just as well – or better than – commercial cleansers.

You really only need the Stainless Steel cloth if you have BRUSHED stainless steel appliances. The scrubbers on this cloth are meant to loosen dirt and grime from the minute grooves in brushed steel so if your appliances are not brushed, then a General Purpose cloth will do.

Questions or Ready to Purchase?

As always, I’m more than happy to answer any and all questions. Just leave me a comment below!

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Argh! Despite placing mats over the majority of my mud room, the boys still manage to step on – or put their wet boots in – the one little spot where there’s no mat.

It’s not that the salt is hard to clean, it’s just… “put your freaking boots on the mat, will ya!”

3 Easy Steps to Keeping your Floors Salt Stain Free

Grab a damp e-cloth (or any other high quality microfiber cloth or mop)

Wipe the floor with the e-cloth (or mop). This will very easily remove most salt stains and will take a matter of seconds.

If there is a buildup of salt (i.e, the damp e-cloth didn’t get it all), spray the area with diluted vinegar – 1 part water to 1/4 part vinegar – let it sit a minute or 4 and then wipe again.

Protecting your Floors from Salt

If left, salt can dissolve the finish on some floors so it’s important to stay on top of it. It may be impossible to prevent all salt stains but here are a few tips to keep them at bay:

Get rid of as much snow/salt off your boots OUTSIDE. Have a mat outside the door, “clap” your feet together, or kick a step to knock the snow off before stepping inside. Teach your kids how to do this too!

Even if you hate them (like me), suck it up for winter and put a couple (few) mats down in the entrance way. Encourage kids to take all their gear off on the mats and to not step off them until their boots are off. Obviously, the bigger the mats, the better when you’re dealing with young kids.

Keep wet boots on the mats or in trays.

Show your kids/spouse what happens to the floor when they step off the mats then get them to wipe up the mess! A quick wipe with an e-cloth is easy enough that the kids can do it – and maybe that’ll help them remember to put their boots in the right spot!

That’s you singing the Smurf song. Why are you singing the Smurf song? Because you just got your new Norwex or e-cloth® in the mail and you just KNOW it’s gonna solve the streaky, finger-printy problem that is your stainless steel fridge (or dishwasher or stove).

You tear the cloth out of the package, dampen it and wipe your fridge and… suddenly your happy Smurfy song turns to something foul. Some sort of headache-inducing, Death Metal song with thrashing guitars and growling, screaming lyrics.

Because your Norwex or e-cloth® has left your fridge looking like a streaky nightmare and the more you wipe, the worse it looks!

Why, oh why, oh WHHHHHHHYYYYYY?

Please, take a minute and breathe. I’m going to tell you how to fix that, but first…

Why Norwex and e-cloths Leave Streaks on Stainless Appliances

There is old Polish or Cleanser on the Appliance!

Both e-cloths and Norwex cloths will leave streaks if you (or the manufacturer) have used some sort of “cleanser” or “polish” on the appliance in the past. These cleansers and polishes leave a very sticky residue behind. They gather dust and cling to stainless steel.

Norwex and e-cloth microfiber will pick up some of the cleanser/polish but it won’t pick it all up sooooo, you’ll be left with a hideous streaky mess. Steaks of areas where the polish has been removed and areas where it has been removed.

“But, but, but... “, you say. No one told you that when you bought the darned cloth.

There, there. I know. I’m sorry.

How to Get Rid of the Hideous Streaks

I’ve tried a few things with varying results. And I mean I’ve spent ages trying these. I’ve worked hard so that you don’t have to.

Call/email Norwex or e-cloth: They suggested that I just keep wiping with the cloth and use a bit of elbow grease. HONK! Absolutely does not work. Well, it may work but I gave up after 25 minutes with no progress.

Dish soap and water and a cloth: HONK! No luck after 15 minutes.

Vinegar: Works a little but you’ll still spend hours and hours wiping. I spent 15 minutes with very little progress.

Baking Soda and Water Paste: HONK! No luck. I got frustrated and gave up after 10 minutes.

Norwex Cleaning Paste: Ding! Ding! This works. It’s fast and effective. Removes the polish/cleanser almost immediately. BE AWARE that the Norwex paste is slightly abrasive and can scratch the steel so be sure to test a small area first.

Universal Stone: DING! DING! DING! This is my favourite solution. It works in a matter of seconds, and is completely non-abrasive so absolutely safe on your appliances. Also, it leaves a bit of glycerine behind that gives your appliances a happy-smiley gleam.

Once you have removed all the polish/cleanser, keeping your appliances streak-free will be as easy as a quick wipe every day or so with your e-cloth or Norwex cloth – just like was promised to begin with – and you can go back to singing your happy song.

PS – I realize that the Universal Stone (and Norwex Paste) are pricey products and I wish I had a cheaper alternative (although I’m sure the Shaklee paste would work just as well – test on small area first). But, these are powerful cleansers that will last ages and can be used all through your house. I’ve posted reviews on both products here in the past. My thoughts on Universal Stone are here and here. And here is my review of the Norwex Paste.

We’re discontinuing the “International” Deep Clean Mop which is GOOD NEWS for YOU!

Purchase this mop and you’ll automatically be entered to win your money back!*
Contest runs from Dec. 21, 2014 until the mops are gone.
This offer is only available at eclothusa.com.

This is the same great Deep Clean Mop that RealSimple magazine raves about except it does not have a telescopic handle. Instead, the handle breaks down into 3 pieces (you can take one piece out for kids to mop!).

While Supplies Last, these are priced to sell at only $29.99 (Reg. $39.99).
Oh, and YES, this mop comes with one of the blue Damp Mop Pads.

How Does the e-cloth Mop Compare to Norwex?

I knew you’d ask that question. I wrote a blog post with lots of details about that some time ago. Here’s the link.

*Winner will be notified by email once all mops are sold. Purchase price of the mop will be refunded. Refund will not include shipping charges or purchase price of items other than the mop. Each mop sold is an eligible entry so if you purchase more than one, you get an entry for each mop. Good Luck!